Parliamentarians go on ‘strike’

MBABANE, 9 November (IRIN) – Swaziland’s parliamentarians have embarked on an unprecedented stayaway to protest against Cabinet’s inability to get grants paid to the elderly.

“These people [Cabinet ministers] are well-paid to do some work, but they are doing nothing,” said MP Marwick Khumalo during a raucous meeting of the House of Assembly on Wednesday night, when the members of parliament (MPs) gave Cabinet one week to start paying out stipends to people aged 60 and over, and voted unanimously to suspend all parliamentary work until then.
…
Two-thirds of the country’s roughly 1 million people live on US$2 or less day and many of those aged 60 years or older rely on the government’s quarterly pay-out of R240 ($32), or R80 ($10.50) a month, to subsist, often while bearing the burden of caring for HIV/AIDS orphans.

Read the rest below. Maybe we can get something like that here (or would anyone notice if Congress or the State House didn’t meet?)

O’Folks (off their rocker)

Arctic sunset

Pages

Comments how-tos

For those new to blogs, check out this post
*commenting on blogs*
Recent comments, on the sidebar blogroll, often have additional or complementary information.
Recent revisions of posts themselves may be found by using the search box for "revised".
Tech support says spam (ads or worse) is hitting WordPress heavily so if you don't see your comment in 24 hours, send an E-mail and TS will check the spam trap.

Chicago Sun-TimesBROWN: Lobbyist retires with integrity intact — honestChicago Sun-TimesLockhart thanked everyone for coming and warned there won't be another party when he turns 94 next month. “We share values. We share our history. We share each other's situation,” he said. Their shared situation includes the drive to Springfield that ...

TIMEPeople Who Live to 100 Have These Traits in Common | TimeTIMEIf you're looking to live to 100, you may want to watch more than your diet. A study of people in remote Italian villages who lived past 90 found that they tended to have certain psychological traits in common, including stubbornness and resilience ...What's the secret to a long life? […]

Just JaredPrince Philip Poses for New Portrait at Age 96!Just JaredPrince Philip is featured in a brand new image from the year of his retirement, just released by Buckingham Palace! In the photograph, the 96-year-old is seen in The Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle with him depicted wearing the sash of the Order of ...Prince Philip Looks Dashing In New Royal […]

News24Richard van der Ross dies, aged 96News24Cape Town – Professor Richard van der Ross, author, former teacher, anti-apartheid activist and Freeman of the City of Cape Town, has died at the age of 96. In a statement issued by Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, Van Der Ross was hailed for his ...and more »

Minneapolis Star TribuneJack Goodwin, longtime writer and editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, dies at age 91Minneapolis Star TribuneJack Goodwin started writing about sports at the Minneapolis Star newspaper right out of college, hired as a summer replacement. As he liked to tell it, at the end of the summer no one told him to stay and no one told him to […]

E! OnlineElton John's Mother Dies at Age 92: "I Am in Shock"E! Online"So sad to say that my mother passed away this morning. I only saw her last Monday and I am in shock. Travel safe Mum. Thank you for everything," John tweeted. "I will miss you so much." John, 70, did not reveal the circumstances surrounding 92-year ...Elt […]

US philanthropist Charles E. Merrill, Jr., dies at age 97ABC NewsAmerican philanthropist and educator Charles E. Merrill, Jr., has died at his home in southern Poland. He was 97. The head of the Polish Literary Institute in Paris, Wojciech Sikora, citing close relatives, said Merrill died Wednesday. He said it was ...and more »